Cloaked in an entirely black robe and adorned with a white mask, the figure stood at approximately five feet in height, surrounded by the invigilators. Dr. Scale held his arm up, ready to send it down at any given moment if even the slightest movement was detected.
He shot the figure a stern gaze before opening his mouth. “I’ll ask you five questions,” he began. “And I expect you to answer them all truthfully. Do you understand?”
The figure, as it had done this whole time, remained mute. It didn’t even bother to ‘look at’ the Guild Master. Instead, its ‘gaze’ focused primarily on the ground, not faltering whatsoever. It was the invigilators who actually began to panic, with thoughts circling around whether the being would attack again or not.
“My lord,” whispered one of the frightened guards. “This person has already broken the rules! Let’s just disqualify them and end the first exam.”
While that was true, the old man knew the context behind the situation, which made it hard to disqualify the perpetrator outright. To start, his invigilators are some of the best-trained troops in the Association – second only to Lawt Law Enforcement. If news came out that they were defeated by a single person, alongside over fifty test takers, the hit to his prestige would be immense.
And secondly, all eyewitnesses have been killed. That means they are completely unaware of the potential Incantations or Divine Arts possessed by this individual. But to be safe, it can be assumed that the power is capable of instant mass killing without sound or visual—the worst kind that can be detrimental if the possessor is provoked.
But that means, the doctor thought. The power must have a cool-down or long start-up sequence. It is impossible for an ability of this magnitude to be done without a large number of steps; no such power exists.
“If you don’t wish to answer questions, then I won't bother asking them. Instead, I ask you to respect what I am about to do next,” he then turned to face another invigilator. “Bring in the Incantation Guild member.”
The guard promptly phased out of view momentarily, reappearing with a bewildered girl in tow. She sported round spectacles that emphasized her brown eyes, and her black hair was fashioned into two pigtails. What stood out most about her appearance were the freckles that adorned her anxious face, contributing to her overall timid expression.
Nevertheless, she was a member of the reputable Incantations Guild and the heir to the Guild Master position – Fumie Star. She looked around with a perplexed expression before dusting off her white uniform, which was decorated with a golden shawl.
“It’s great to see you, Fumie. How is your mother doing?” the doctor asked, purposely walking away from the masked perpetrator that made the invigilators eep.
“S-She’s fine,” Fumie replied. “Is there anything you need? I was told to wait on standby…”
“Yes,” the doctor confirmed quietly. “I need you to cast a high-level seal spell on that person over there. They are a level five threat and must be contained for the remainder of the exam.”
“L-Level five? W-What should I seal?” she fumbled. “I Don -”
“Everything,” Scale insisted. “Seal their cores and vitality. We don’t want to take any risks.”
She nodded her head, taking out a paintbrush and a piece of paper that she began to paint on despite having no ink. In a matter of minutes, a circle with incomprehensible images and diagrams was completed. She hoisted the finished work in the air with a smile, handing it over to the doctor.
“Great work,” he praised while scanning through the seal. “Now it's time to apply it.”
They walked back toward the masked perpetrator as Dr. Scale pushed his way through his invigilators. He placed the seal on the back of the figure, whipped out a pen, and began writing on the backside. Soon after, a blue glow released from the paper as it merged into the skin of the perpetrator.
“All done,” he gruffed. “I’ve sealed your powers for an indefinite period of time. You may remain in the exam if you wish, but your chances of passing the tournament and appraisal exam are now basically zero. Thank you for cooperating.”
He ushered for the invigilators to clear and headed back toward the podium, with Fumie following behind him. “Who is that?” She asked.
“We don’t know,” he answered. “But we will find out. I’ve sent out some invigilators to contact the guilds and other helpful institutions. We also got magic samples from the scene and swabbed the perpetrator's clothes. We will get a report soon enough on who that person is. Till then, we will be relying on that seal to keep them at bay.”
But it was still strange to the doctor. Nobody in their right mind would allow such a high-level seal to be placed on them. So, either the person believes they are capable of breaking out of it, or they’ve already accomplished their goal and don’t care. For the Association's safety, Dr. Scale will assume the former.
…
While all that was going on, Damon watched on, pleasantly intrigued by the sight as his test taker trembled beside him. It had been a long time since he last saw Dr. Scale so lost in thought. And that small person. What did they do to warrant the attention of one of the most influential people in the Association? He had to find out.
The bell rang, signalling the end of the written examination. A long sigh escaped Nally’s mouth as she sank into her chair. They were finally free from all the BS and could move on to the next round.
…
Shortly after Jonah departed, Ned revealed to Nally the cause of his hatred toward him.
To keep things brief, Rurah is a half-orc who hails from the southern region, which is currently facing a civil war. Jonah’s family ran to the area around five years ago and began selling weapons to both sides, fueling the conflict. The grey business practice made his family rich at the expense of the local orc population. That money also funded the education of their children, which led to Jonah meeting Ned at the academy, where they developed an intense rivalry.
“That’s basically it,” Ned had said. “The two of us competed in every field, and when I found out about his family, it cemented my hatred for him.”
“But he isn’t his family,” Nally had responded. “What if he doesn’t agree with what they do?”
“Then he hasn’t made that clear. Instead, he’s just benefited from the situation while keeping his mouth shut. Those are the kinds of people I hate the most.”
…
“Ned,” Nally began. “Thank you for telling me all that earlier.”
“No problem,” the rapier wielder responded. “One of our goals and reasons for joining the Association was to spread the word and get help to end the war.”
“Do you think Hitto and I could help with that?” she asked. “My goal is to see the whole world and discover new land, while Hitto’s is to fight strong people. I think that means we will eventually end up in the southern region.”
“Of course you can!” he beamed. “And I think Rurah and I wouldn’t mind seeing the world with you guys. But I have to ask, what's left to see when everything has been discovered?”
“Thanks,” she smiled. “But I don’t think that’s the case. When I was younger, my mother told me tales about this place called the New Frontier. It was a landmass that our ancient forefathers ventured to, never to return.”
“I’ve heard that story, Nally. They died at sea.”
“But what if they didn’t? What if they actually did live and see new land? What's wrong with seeing for yourself what actually happened? That’s why we are joining the Adventurers Guild, with one of my goals being a voyage to that land.”
“You’re crazy,” Ned chuckled. “But whatever, I’m in. Let's write our names in the history books.”
They then packed up their belongings and woke up the battered pair of Rurah and Hitto. All together, they headed down towards the front lobby and joined the lines of people handing in their tests. They also took the time to fill them in.
“I don’t mind,” Hitto said reluctantly while crossing his arms. “As long as you guys don’t get in my way and pay me back for the axe you destroyed.”
The titan gave a thumbs up while Ned confirmed that they would.
Then, the test administrator – Dr. Scale, stood at the podium and adjusted his magic amplifier, catching everyone's attention. “Hello, everyone; I hope you can all hear me. Congratulations, you’ve made it to the end of the first exam. The last strenuous test will be the tournament that’s up next, so keep up the good work. So that you can all fight at your best, we've called in members of the Healer’s Guild. They will treat any problems you may have, so rest assured and keep performing.”
Nally simply rolled her eyes at the speech. It was the administrator and his people in black who were responsible for those killed, injured, or severely mentally damaged. The rationale behind structuring the exam in such a cruel way escaped her understanding. What she was sure of, though, was that she would never devise a test with such consequences, especially if she were the one in charge.
And by the looks of things, she was right. The whole hall was quiet even as the members of the Healer’s Guild made their rounds. Everyone was focused on simply handing in their tests or physically breaking down due to what happened.
Finally, they arrived in front of their invigilator and gave in their exams. At the same time, a member of the Healer’s Guild approached. They wore an all-white priest-style robe with a large black cross embroidered on the front. And their face was wrapped in white cloth, revealing only their eyes.
“Hello there, test takers. You may call me B15,” said the rough voice of the robed man. “Does your big friend there in the back need treatment?”
“Yes, he does,” Ned responded. “I’ll walk you through it as he currently cannot speak.”
The guild member ushered them off to the other side as Hitto elbowed Nally in the stomach. “What’s up with that? Why is his name B15?”
“To keep anonymity,” she responded. “The Healer’s Guild is arguably the most important guild in the association. It is made up of people who have the Divine Art of healing, which is very rare. They conceal their identities to safeguard their members' daily lives and prevent the power from falling into the wrong hands.”
“Wow!” he smiled. “Spoken like a true encyclopedia.”
“What!?” she frowned. “I’m surprised you even know what that is!”
Not long after, everyone was done handing in their tests and, for the most part, patched up physically. The administrator then escorted them all out of the exam hall and back into the entrance area. Nally spotted Hilda, who was still sitting at the desk. The two exchanged a wave as they continued down the hall.
Finally, they arrived at the new location. A set of two grand oak double doors greeted them, which was a welcomed change from the all-white interior. Two invigilators then phased to either side of the doors, waiting for the administrator's permission to open them.
“Alright, everyone,” said the doctor. “Before we enter and proceed with the tournament, I’d like to lay out a few ground rules and what’s expected from you.”
“First and foremost, this exam is recorded for the whole Association to see via holograms. As such, we expect you to perform in a way that represents and honours the Association's image. Second, no killing of anyone is permitted in this exam due to its nature. We wish to present it as an event – and that would surely defeat the joy in it.”
“Third, the Healer’s Guild will be on standby after each round. You are to go to them immediately if you pass or afterwards if you fail. Lastly, all forms of combat – Divine Arts, Incantations, and enhancements are allowed. Just don’t kill.”
“Any questions?” the hall remained quiet. “Alright,” shrugged the doctor. “There are exactly sixty-four of you here, so pair up for a thirty-two-man tournament. You will be instructed on where to go and what to do once we enter the next room. Good luck.”
